Los Angeles-area man pleads guilty to producing dozens of sexually explicit images and videos of children

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – A San Bernardino County man has agreed to plead guilty to a federal criminal charge that he produced dozens of sexually explicit images and videos of children, including one victim who was 3 years old at the time.

Chaunta A. Bashir, a.k.a. “taytheonly,” 26, of Chino, agreed to plead guilty to one count of production of child pornography, according to a plea agreement filed Monday in United States District Court. A hearing where Bashir will enter his guilty plea is expected to be set in the coming weeks.

This case is the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles, with assistance from the Chino Police Department.

In his plea agreement, Bashir admitted that from June 2015 to October 2018, he produced multiple images and videos of child pornography. Bashir admitted that in October and November 2017, he took sexually exploitative images and videos of a 3-year-old child, including of himself sexually abusing the child.

From April to September 2018, Bashir produced additional sexually explicit images and videos of children ranging in age from 4 years old to 14 years of age, according to the plea agreement. Some of those videos were recorded on his Snapchat and Facebook social media accounts.

During a search of Bashir’s home in October 2018, HSI special agents recovered more than 600 images and videos from his electronic devices that depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Upon entering his guilty plea, Bashir will face a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.

This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California’s Riverside Branch.